PRISONS IN CRISIS

PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Cannydc » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:04 am

The crisis at the heart of the prison service has been laid bare after the Government was issued with an unprecedented warning that inmates were being driven to take their own lives due to a “dramatic decline” in conditions.

Inspectors today reveal conditions in one English jail are the “worst they have ever seen”, painting a grim picture of inmates in HMP Liverpool living among dirt, litter, rats and cockroaches and occupying cells that are “dangerous to live in”. There was a backlog of some 2,000 maintenance tasks, and as a result hundreds of unrepaired broken windows, with jagged glass left in the frames, while many lavatories were filthy, blocked or leaking, the report states.

The report comes a day after the prison watchdog issued an “urgent notification” for the first time after a separate, as yet unpublished, report found HMP Nottingham was “fundamentally unsafe” to the point that inmates are at risk of death.

It comes after the general secretary of the Prison Officers Association (POA) made a stark warning on Wednesday that today’s jails remain as bleak as the Strangeways era, saying that “clear recommendations” made following the 1990 prison riot have been ignored 28 years later.

Steve Gillan revealed prison officers were having to “cut people down who are attempting to kill themselves” before going straight back onto the wing, as jails reach a “state of crisis” amid rising prisoner numbers and stifled levels of staffing.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke was particularly troubled by the case of one vulnerable man with complex mental health needs being held in a cell that had no furniture other than a bed, and having been there “for some weeks”.

“The windows of both the cell and the toilet recess were broken […] the lavatory was filthy and appeared to be blocked, his sink was leaking and the cell was dark and damp,” said the Inspectorate, adding: “It should not have needed my personal intervention for this man to be moved from such appalling conditions.”


Wonder where the poor bloke put his Playstation. And his TV. And his spare duvet in case it gets a bit chilly. All prisoners get those as a minimum, no ???

Seems we are losing all sight of humanity.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 66676.html
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby HobbitFeet » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:14 am

I've always maintained the position that the punishment is the removal from society and removal of the rights that go with that - anything beyond that moves into inhumane territory
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Trapper John » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:27 am

This is of course a direct result of Brexit.

Maybe if we shipped out all the foreign prisoners clogging up our prison system there would be a bit more time and money to spare so these things can be rectified.

Prisoners can help themselves too by coming up with new and inventive ways to improve their lot. One that worked particularly well recently in the outside world could be tweaked to work within the system.

It involves setting fire to the place you live in, then blaming it all on other people - this will see prisoners put up in 5 Star hotels and possibly even being able to tuck a little nest egg away for use on release.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Cannydc » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:41 am

Trapper John wrote:This is of course a direct result of Brexit.

Maybe if we shipped out all the foreign prisoners clogging up our prison system there would be a bit more time and money to spare so these things can be rectified.

Prisoners can help themselves too by coming up with new and inventive ways to improve their lot. One that worked particularly well recently in the outside world could be tweaked to work within the system.

It involves setting fire to the place you live in, then blaming it all on other people - this will see prisoners put up in 5 Star hotels and possibly even being able to tuck a little nest egg away for use on release.


Ahhh - all the fault of those pesky forriners. And if other countries decide to send back OUR home-grown detritus languishing in their jails ?

Never mind the fact that a very large proportion of UK prisoners are mentally ill and should never have been sent there in the first place.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Trapper John » Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:58 am

Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:This is of course a direct result of Brexit.

Maybe if we shipped out all the foreign prisoners clogging up our prison system there would be a bit more time and money to spare so these things can be rectified.

Prisoners can help themselves too by coming up with new and inventive ways to improve their lot. One that worked particularly well recently in the outside world could be tweaked to work within the system.

It involves setting fire to the place you live in, then blaming it all on other people - this will see prisoners put up in 5 Star hotels and possibly even being able to tuck a little nest egg away for use on release.


Ahhh - all the fault of those pesky forriners. And if other countries decide to send back OUR home-grown detritus languishing in their jails ?

Never mind the fact that a very large proportion of UK prisoners are mentally ill and should never have been sent there in the first place.


Pish - a few dozen drug mules :roll:
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Cannydc » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:22 am

Trapper John wrote:
Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:This is of course a direct result of Brexit.

Maybe if we shipped out all the foreign prisoners clogging up our prison system there would be a bit more time and money to spare so these things can be rectified.

Prisoners can help themselves too by coming up with new and inventive ways to improve their lot. One that worked particularly well recently in the outside world could be tweaked to work within the system.

It involves setting fire to the place you live in, then blaming it all on other people - this will see prisoners put up in 5 Star hotels and possibly even being able to tuck a little nest egg away for use on release.


Ahhh - all the fault of those pesky forriners. And if other countries decide to send back OUR home-grown detritus languishing in their jails ?

Never mind the fact that a very large proportion of UK prisoners are mentally ill and should never have been sent there in the first place.


Pish - a few dozen drug mules :roll:


As of March 2015, the FCO was aware of 2205 British nationals detained overseas.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Trapper John » Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:52 am

Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:
Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:This is of course a direct result of Brexit.

Maybe if we shipped out all the foreign prisoners clogging up our prison system there would be a bit more time and money to spare so these things can be rectified.

Prisoners can help themselves too by coming up with new and inventive ways to improve their lot. One that worked particularly well recently in the outside world could be tweaked to work within the system.

It involves setting fire to the place you live in, then blaming it all on other people - this will see prisoners put up in 5 Star hotels and possibly even being able to tuck a little nest egg away for use on release.


Ahhh - all the fault of those pesky forriners. And if other countries decide to send back OUR home-grown detritus languishing in their jails ?

Never mind the fact that a very large proportion of UK prisoners are mentally ill and should never have been sent there in the first place.


Pish - a few dozen drug mules :roll:


As of March 2015, the FCO was aware of 2205 British nationals detained overseas.


Thats fine then, always supposing every country in the world wants to send ours back, there is still bags of room once we get rid of 40,000 foreigners. :thumbsup:
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Trapper John » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:05 am

Joking aside, the fact is as of 2017 Foreign National Prisoners (FNP) made up 14% of the total prison population of England and Wales, up by 2% since 2016.

That is around 12,000 FNP and that doesn't include recently 'citizenised' prisoners who to my mind should have their citizenship revoked if committing a crime within 5 years of gaining citizenship.

So you see, the freeing up of 12,000 spaces and the associated costs they incur would significantly improve prison life for UK prisoners, even supposing every country in the world were to send back ours.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Trapper John » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:14 am

By the way, the average cost of a prison place in UK jails as of 2016/17 was £38,042 per annum, thats up almost £3000 pa from the previous year.

So thats a whopping £456million pa spent on housing and caring for 12000 FNP. No wonder the system is falling apart. :shake head:
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Cannydc » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:27 am

Trapper John wrote:By the way, the average cost of a prison place in UK jails as of 2016/17 was £38,042 per annum, thats up almost £3000 pa from the previous year.

So thats a whopping £456million pa spent on housing and caring for 12000 FNP. No wonder the system is falling apart. :shake head:


The habit of sending mentally ill people to prison has mushroomed in recent years.

A recent study showed that 12% met criteria for psychosis; 53.8% for depressive disorders; 26.8% for anxiety disorders; 33.1% were dependent on alcohol and 57.1% on illegal drugs; 34.2% had some form of personality disorder; and 69.1% had two disorders or more.

Moreover, in the year before imprisonment, 25.3% had used mental health services.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 016-1311-7

A conservative estimate shows at least 40 - 60% to be suffering at least one mental condition.

And none of this takes into account other factors leading to jail sentences such as drug and alcohol dependency. Drug dependence was widespread, with figures starkly in contrast to the general population: 12 times as high in men, 26 times in women.

https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/reso ... ng-problem
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Rolluplostinspace » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:28 am

British prisons have always had a reputation as being amongst some of the worst in the world.
A lot of the staff that work there are ex services and they should not have to put up with those conditions.
A picture I just saw very briefly of Liverpool nick showed loads of rubbish around the blocs.
A lot of that rubbish will be shit parcels thrown out of the windows.
Where's what is known as the bomb squad?
This was a team of inmates who had to go around the nick every morning pulling a four wheel truck and clearing up the mess.
The gardens too were always maintained.
Has Liverpool nick been run by a governor who doesn't give out work to prisoners for some reason?
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Lady Murasaki » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:37 am

Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:By the way, the average cost of a prison place in UK jails as of 2016/17 was £38,042 per annum, thats up almost £3000 pa from the previous year.

So thats a whopping £456million pa spent on housing and caring for 12000 FNP. No wonder the system is falling apart. :shake head:


The habit of sending mentally ill people to prison has mushroomed in recent years.

A recent study showed that 12% met criteria for psychosis; 53.8% for depressive disorders; 26.8% for anxiety disorders; 33.1% were dependent on alcohol and 57.1% on illegal drugs; 34.2% had some form of personality disorder; and 69.1% had two disorders or more.

Moreover, in the year before imprisonment, 25.3% had used mental health services.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 016-1311-7

A conservative estimate shows at least 40 - 60% to be suffering at least one mental condition.

And none of this takes into account other factors leading to jail sentences such as drug and alcohol dependency. Drug dependence was widespread, with figures starkly in contrast to the general population: 12 times as high in men, 26 times in women.

https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/reso ... ng-problem


Mental illness is such a catch all term nowadays though. The criminal justice system can only really go by what crimes are committed not what a person may do because they're mentally unstable. A lot of crimes are committed in a moment of madness, red mist, not because someone is mentally ill long term.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Cannydc » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:48 am

Lady Murasaki wrote:
Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:By the way, the average cost of a prison place in UK jails as of 2016/17 was £38,042 per annum, thats up almost £3000 pa from the previous year.

So thats a whopping £456million pa spent on housing and caring for 12000 FNP. No wonder the system is falling apart. :shake head:


The habit of sending mentally ill people to prison has mushroomed in recent years.

A recent study showed that 12% met criteria for psychosis; 53.8% for depressive disorders; 26.8% for anxiety disorders; 33.1% were dependent on alcohol and 57.1% on illegal drugs; 34.2% had some form of personality disorder; and 69.1% had two disorders or more.

Moreover, in the year before imprisonment, 25.3% had used mental health services.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 016-1311-7

A conservative estimate shows at least 40 - 60% to be suffering at least one mental condition.

And none of this takes into account other factors leading to jail sentences such as drug and alcohol dependency. Drug dependence was widespread, with figures starkly in contrast to the general population: 12 times as high in men, 26 times in women.

https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/reso ... ng-problem


Mental illness is such a catch all term nowadays though. The criminal justice system can only really go by what crimes are committed not what a person may do because they're mentally unstable. A lot of crimes are committed in a moment of madness, red mist, not because someone is mentally ill long term.


Mental illness isn't an excuse for crime.

But it is an illness, often serious, and should be treated in a medical setting. Not locked in a stinking cell 23 hours a day.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Rolluplostinspace » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:50 am

Locked in a stinking cell with two or three strangers who may well abuse bully terrify etc.
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Re: PRISONS IN CRISIS

Postby Lady Murasaki » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:55 am

Cannydc wrote:
Lady Murasaki wrote:
Cannydc wrote:
Trapper John wrote:By the way, the average cost of a prison place in UK jails as of 2016/17 was £38,042 per annum, thats up almost £3000 pa from the previous year.

So thats a whopping £456million pa spent on housing and caring for 12000 FNP. No wonder the system is falling apart. :shake head:


The habit of sending mentally ill people to prison has mushroomed in recent years.

A recent study showed that 12% met criteria for psychosis; 53.8% for depressive disorders; 26.8% for anxiety disorders; 33.1% were dependent on alcohol and 57.1% on illegal drugs; 34.2% had some form of personality disorder; and 69.1% had two disorders or more.

Moreover, in the year before imprisonment, 25.3% had used mental health services.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.10 ... 016-1311-7

A conservative estimate shows at least 40 - 60% to be suffering at least one mental condition.

And none of this takes into account other factors leading to jail sentences such as drug and alcohol dependency. Drug dependence was widespread, with figures starkly in contrast to the general population: 12 times as high in men, 26 times in women.

https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/reso ... ng-problem


Mental illness is such a catch all term nowadays though. The criminal justice system can only really go by what crimes are committed not what a person may do because they're mentally unstable. A lot of crimes are committed in a moment of madness, red mist, not because someone is mentally ill long term.


Mental illness isn't an excuse for crime.

But it is an illness, often serious, and should be treated in a medical setting. Not locked in a stinking cell 23 hours a day.


What do you suggest? And is there the money/will to do it in this country?

A lot of mental illness is down to our way of life. The pressures/ stresses and expectations of an industrialised, capitalistic society. Ok, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here but it's true. By the time we talk about jails and mental health it's already too late for those people. We don't have enough earlier intervention because we don't care about one another as a society. As seen in our daily media stories.
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